The 2025-26 College Football Playoff brought Miami back into the national conversation for the first time in two decades, and it introduced the country to a new superpower in the sport, as Indiana proved wrong one doubter after another.
As the season ends with the Hoosiers crowned new national champs, this should be a time of celebration.
Of course, for the coaches at Miami and Indiana, it's actually time to get back to work.
Players can still enter the portal. Holes on the depth chart need to be filled. Offseason strength and conditioning programs are just weeks away. And spring ball is around the corner. The grind never stops.
And the truth is, for all their success this season, there's no guarantee the momentum will carry forward. Six of the past eight teams to play for a national championship failed to make the playoff the next year, and in a sport moving increasingly toward some semblance of parity, the job of building Miami and Indiana for another run to the title game begins right now. -- David Hale
Indiana Hoosiers
2025 record: 16-0
Biggest question moving forward: Coach Curt Cignetti is undoubtedly the catalyst for Indiana's mind-blowing rise over the past two seasons, but the group of players that joined him from James Madison has played a major role too. Several of those players starred for two seasons at IU, and many now depart the program, leaving significant holes on both sides of the ball. Cignetti knew this type of roster turnover was coming, and Indiana has been excellent at identifying and acquiring non-JMU transfers. But players such as wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, linebacker Aiden Fisher, defensive end Mikail Kamara and running back Kaelon Black will be missed (and junior All-Big Ten cornerback D'Angelo Ponds is an NFL draft candidate), not only for their production but their understanding of Cignetti's methods and standards. Indiana must show it can replace the JMU crew -- along with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and other key departures -- and reload like perennially elite programs do. After a historic 2024 season, Indiana made the right moves to address its deficiencies. But this offseason could be more challenging overall for Cignetti and his staff. -- Adam Rittenberg
Recruiting outlook: In the midst of back-to-back CFP runs, Indiana signed its first top 30 recruiting class since the 2022 cycle last month. The top of the Hoosiers' 2026 class is built on the defensive line, where Indiana inked ESPN 300 defensive tackles Gabe Hill (No. 191 overall) and Cameron McHaney (No. 267) and four-star defensive end Kevontay Hugan, a high-upside pass rusher from Sarasota, Florida. On offense, four-star athlete Henry Ohlinger projects as a big-bodied running back, joining the Hoosiers in 2026 after eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing in each of his final three high school seasons. Indiana already holds a pledge in the 2027 class from three-star quarterback Jameson Purcell, and the Hoosiers are expected to be in the mix for a number of top recruits in the class, including five-star, in-state wide receiver Monshun Sales, No. 12 overall in the ESPN Junior 300. -- Eli Lederman
Biggest portal priority: Cignetti and Matt Wilson, Indiana's assistant athletic director for player personnel, were not messing around when the portal officially opened Jan. 2. They loaded up with proven starters yet again and rapidly addressed all their roster needs while also prepping for the CFP. Josh Hoover threw for more than 9,600 yards as a 31-game starter at TCU and continued this program's impressive run of landing premium QBs in the transfer portal. Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh and Wisconsin guard Joe Brunner are two of the Big Ten's top returning players at their respective positions. The defensive line got an impressive reload led by rising pass rusher Tobi Osunsanmi from Kansas State, and the Hoosiers landed three multiyear starters in the secondary in A.J. Harris (Penn State), Jiquan Sanks (Cincinnati) and Preston Zachman (Wisconsin). Indiana has brought in 17 transfer commitments so far for what should be a top-10-ranked portal class, a group that should provide enough added experience to help this program sustain its elite standards and success. -- Max Olson
Under-the-radar offseason priority: Indiana's improvement in the run game this season didn't get nearly enough attention with Mendoza's arrival and the continued excellence on defense. But the Hoosiers averaged 50-plus rush yards per game more than they did in 2024, providing an ideal offensive balance for coordinator Mike Shanahan. IU must replace top running backs Black and Roman Hemby, transfers who brought valuable experience to their position room. Khobie Martin should be ready for a bigger role, and Lee Beebe Jr. had a promising start to his IU career before a season-ending knee injury in September. Still, this is an area to watch in the spring and summer. -- Rittenberg
2026 prediction: The 2025 campaign showed that Cignetti and Indiana aren't going anywhere and should be among the Big Ten's contenders pretty much every year. But the roster turnover the Hoosiers will face is significant, much more so than what the team faced after last season. Indiana added high-profile transfer additions, but it also will be leaning more on players who have come up in Cignetti's IU program. The schedule features Ohio State and USC at home and trips to Michigan and Washington. Another CFP appearance isn't off the table, and I'll peg the Hoosiers at 10-2 or 9-3. -- Rittenberg
Miami Hurricanes
2025 record: 13-3
Biggest question moving forward: Miami will lose the bulk of its starters off this team, including quarterback Carson Beck, four offensive linemen and three defensive linemen -- should OL Francis Mauigoa and DL Rueben Bain Jr. declare for the NFL draft, as expected. The Hurricanes have hit on their past two quarterbacks in the transfer portal, and there's speculation that former Duke QB Darian Mensah will be making his way to Miami in the offseason. But there are other questions, particularly surrounding the offense. Will Shannon Dawson return as offensive coordinator? How much can Miami build the offense around freshman superstar wideout Malachi Toney? The defense will lose the majority of its playmakers, as well, but this is a unit that has established an identity under first-year coordinator Corey Hetherman, a finalist for the Broyles Award honoring the best assistant coach in college football. The strength of the team this season has been the defense. That is why the biggest questions remain on the offensive side of the ball. -- Andrea Adelson
Recruiting outlook: Coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes secured their third top-10 class across the past four cycles in 2026, anchored by the addition of five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell (No. 3 overall), the highest-ranked signee of Cristobal's tenure. Cantwell could be a potential Day 1 starter next fall, and he'll arrive at Miami alongside a deep class of offensive talents that features No. 5 dual-threat quarterback Dereon Coleman (No. 160) and ESPN 300 wide receivers Vance Spafford (No. 130), Somourian Wingo (No. 159) and Milan Parris (No. 235). Leading the Hurricanes' incoming defensive class is linebacker Jordan Campbell (No. 150), a versatile defensive prospect from nearby Miami Northwestern High School. The Canes have gotten to work locally in the 2027 cycle, as well. All four of the program's current pledges in the class come from within Florida, including three from the ESPN Junior 300. -- Lederman
Biggest portal priority: Few programs have been more active -- and aggressive -- in the transfer portal year after year than Miami under Cristobal. The Hurricanes absolutely loaded up for a CFP run in 2025 with 12 new starters acquired via the portal. The Canes weren't as active as usual during the January transfer window, but their big splash appears to be imminent. They are expected to be the frontrunner for Duke signal-caller Mensah when he officially enters the transfer portal this week. The No. 5 overall player in ESPN's transfer rankings put up an ACC-best 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns in his first season in the conference, and he is looking to prove he is a first-round draft pick with another big year leading a CFP contender. The Canes also have added depth at wide receiver with South Carolina's Vandrevius Jacobs and West Virginia's Cam Vaughn and a proven playmaker at safety in South Florida native Omar Thornton from Boston College. Place-kicker was a portal need too, and Miami resolved that one with two newcomers in Jake Weinberg (Florida State) and Jack Olsen (Northwestern). -- Olson
Under-the-radar offseason priority: Miami has relied on stalwarts Mauigoa and Anez Cooper to not only anchor the offensive line the past three seasons but propel it forward as one of the best units in the country. With Cooper, Mauigoa, Markel Bell and James Brockermeyer set to move on after this season, the Hurricanes are losing not only their veteran presence and leadership but 150 combined starts between them. Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal is known as one of the top O-line developers in the country, so this will be an area that will be a priority as the Hurricanes not only work to replace the players but maintain the high standard the team has up front. -- Adelson
2026 prediction: Miami has no plans to take a step back after making the CFP this season, especially since its past two campaigns have been the best since Cristobal arrived in December 2021. But he acknowledges the work is not done yet because the goal is not just competing for championships. It is winning championships. Miami has done a nice job signing talented recruiting classes and developing that young talent while also relying on the transfer portal for some key additions at strategic positions. That will continue. Considering the strides made this season, Miami should once again be an ACC and CFP title contender next season. -- Adelson